Keyboard for pianos or organs.



No. 717,645. PATENTEDVJAN. 6, 1903.

T. WIEHMAYER. KEYBOARD FOR PIANOS 0R ORGANS. i APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1901. I0 XQDBL. 2 $HEETS-SHBET 1.

m: Moms PETzRs co. PHOTO-LITNOQWASHINGTON, a c.

No. 717,645. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903. T. WIEHMAYER.

KEYBOARD FOR PIANOS 0R ORGANS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1901;

30 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7/01/77 6-5'5667 1570677787- W/ZWM UNITED STATES THEODOR lVIEI-IMAYER,

ATENT price.

on LEIPZIG, GERMANY.-

KEYBOARD FOR PIANOS OR ORGANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,645, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed August 17, 1901. Serial No. 72,401. (No model.)

1'0 to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODOR WIEHMAYER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at 4 Robert Schumannstrasse, Leipzig, Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Keyboards for Pianos, Organs, and all other Instruments with a Keyboard, of which the following is a full and eX- act specification.

The present invention, which is applied to pianos, organs, and all other instruments played by means of a keyboard, has in view the facilitating, in the playing of these instruments through a more advantageous division of the keyboard.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a keyboard as ordinarily arranged, and Fig. 2 is a view of my improved keyboard.

The principal aim of the invention is to provide an equal access for the fingers to the four difierent kinds of touch hereinafter described which this keyboard makes possible; to provide a breadth of striking-surface in proportion to the diiiiculties encountered in each different kind of touch, so that only one breadth of striking-surface is provided for each one of the four difierent kinds of touch. The four possible kinds of touch for the fingers are as:follows: first, the touch on the white keys in the lower position-t'. a, on the lower broad ends of the white keys, (0, D, E, F, G, A, B;) second, the touch on the black (upper) keys,(C-sharp,D-sharp,F-sharp, G-sharp, B-flat;) third, the touch on the white keys in the upper position which have a black key only on one side,(C, E,F, 13;) fourth, the touch on the white keys in the upper position which have on both sides black keys, (D, G, A.)

All the keyboards hitherto in use have the disadvantage of providing unequal strikingsurfaces in two of the four different kinds of touch for the fingers, as may be seen in Fig. 1 of the inclosed drawings. For instance, on the keys G and A in the upper position (between F-sharp, G-sharp, and B-flat) the finger has less space than on the key D, (between C- sharp and D-sharp,) although these three keys belong to the same kind of touch, (fourth kind,) and consequently the difficulties encountered in playing are the same. Also the keys F and B in the upper position offer less breadth of striking-surface to the fingers than the keys 0 and E, although all four keys belong to the third kind of touch, (white keys in the upper position which have a black key only on one side,) as shown in Fig.1. In consequence of this the playing in the upper position on the keys F, G, A, and B is much more difficult than on the keys C, D, and E, where on account of the broader space the fingers feel freer (surer) and have less friction with the black keys. Also the surety of playing on the black keys in skips, &c., is hazarded on account of the keys O-sharp and D-sharp being farther apart than the keys F-sharp and G- sharp or G- sharp and B flat. The illogical distribution of spaces between the black keys and the irregular intervals (distances between) of the latter are of course of greatdisadvantage to the player, and the disadvantage does not alone consist of the awkwardness of playing on the keys F, G, A, and B in the upper position,but also in the diminution of surety in playing on the upper (black) keys in skips, &c.

The problem to offer to the fingers for each of the four different kinds of touch a uniform breadthof striking-surface has been solved in this invention, as may be seen in Fig. 2 of the inclosed drawings. The two black keys C-sharp and D-sharp have been moved to gether a trifle, the three black keys F-sharp, G-sharp, and B-flat, on the contrary, have been moved a little farther apart, and the keys E F and B O in entering the upper position are slightly curved on their neighboring sides in such a manner that now the striking-surfaces in the upper position of the white keys D, G, and A (which have black keys on both sides) are of exactly the same breadth. The striking-surfaces of the keys (3, E, F, and B in the upper position (these keys having a black key on one side only) are of exactly the same breadth, and finally the distances between the black keys O-sharp and D-sharp, F-sharp and G-sharp, and G-sharp and B-flat are exactly the same. As the difficulties of each of the four different kinds of touch have to be taken into consideration, the white keys which have black keys on both sides had to be provided with a broader striking-surface in the upper position than the white keys which have a black key only on one side. Consequently the fingers find for each of the four different kinds of touch a uniform breadth of key, which of course simplifies and facilitates the playing considerably.

I claim 1. A keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the widths of the upper portions of keys denoting the letters D, G, and A, of the scale being the same in each instance and the Widths of the upper portions of keys denoting the letters E, F, B, of the scale and 0, being the same in each instance.

2. A keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the widths of the keys denoting the letters O-sharp, D-sharp, F-sharp, G-sharp, and B-flat, of the scale being the same in each instance, the Widths of the upper portions of keys denoting the letters E, F, B, and O, of the scale being the same in each instance and the widths of the upper portions of keys D, G and A, of the scale being the same in each instance, the widths of the lastmentioned keys denoting the letters varying from the widths of the upper portions of keys denoting the letters E, F, B and O, of the scale.

3. A keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the widths of the upper portions of keys denoting the letters D, G and A, of the scale being the same in each instance, the widths of the upper portions of keys denoting the letters E, F, B and C, of the scale being the same in each instance, the sides of the keys denoting the letters E, F, and B, O, of the scale in entering the upper position being slightly curved or flexed on their adjoining sides.

at. A keyboard comprising a plurality of keys,the widths of the upper portions of keys denoting the letters D, G, and A, of the scale being the same in each instance, the widths of the upper portions of keys, denoting the letters E, F, and B, O, of the scale being the same in each instance, the sides of the latter keys being slightly curved or flexed on their adjoining sides in entering the upper position, the one outward, the other inward, the flexure of the sides of keys denoting the letters B, O, of the scale being in the opposite direction and set away from the flexure of the sides of keys denoting the letters E, F, of the scale the forward or lower ends of the keys 0, D, E, F, G, A, and B, of the scale each being of the same width.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

THEODOR WVIEHMAYER.

Witnesses:

UDoLPH FRICKE, CHAS. J. BURT. 

